Valved container for pressurized gas



June 8,1954 E. E. sEABr-:RG

vALvED CONTAINER FoR PREssuRIzED GAs Filed lay 15. 1950 Patented June 8, 1 954 Y vALvED CONTAINER ron PREssUmzEn GAS Ernest E. Seaberg, Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Carnoy Products Corporation, Elmsford, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application May 15, 1950, Serial No. 161,991

8 Claims. (Cl. 22S-20.6)

1 The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved valved container for gases under high pressure.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. Y

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a typical and preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the valved container in closed position; and

Figure 4 is an end view of the valved connector shown in Figure 3.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved valved container to hold a quantity of gas under high pressure for shipment and for facilitating the reloading of another system with gas under pressure. The invention further provides an improved connector valve by which a gas bottle may be closed during shipment and thereafter connected to a system to be charged with the gas, the valve mechanism being held against opening until the connection has been fully made. Still another object is the provision of a gas bottle containing a predetermined quantity of gas )which may be connected to a system or other receiver such as a bottle to be charged, without the use of special tools, and is provided with a valve which may be opened only when the connection has been fully connected, after which the predetermined quantity of gas may be fully released from the bottle through the valved connection. The invention provides a valved connector and a valved bottle which is of great usefulness in the recharging of many systems using gas under pressure, such as dry chemical fire extinguishers using compressed nitrogen as a propellant. or for the recharging of refrigerating systems using ammonia 2 combination of a metal gas bottle having a valved connector by which it may be connected to the system to be recharged with gas, the valved connector comprising a valve which is opened by relative rotation, and a connector, exemplarily a threaded connector to fit a threaded connection on .the system to be recharged, the valve being capable of being opened by relative rotation of its parts only after a tight connection has been made I to the system to be recharged.

It will be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description as well areA exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative and presently preferred embodiment of the invention as shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, the invention is shown as especially adapted for the recharging of a dry chemical re extinguisher using high pressure nitrogen or carbon dioxide as a propellant gas.

Such an extinguisher is shown in some detail in Figures 1 and 2 and comprises a steel bottle I0 to contain a dry, free-flowing re extinguishing powder, such as a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and other ingredients, which are propelled by compressed nitrogen under a pressure of 300 to 400 pounds per square inch contained in the bottle i@ and controlled in their discharge from the bottle by means of a valve and nozzle assembly I2. The valve and nozzle assembly comprises a feed tube I4 extending into the mass of dry powder in the bottle I0, a threaded portion I6 by which the valve assembly- "is held to close the bottle I0. The valve comprises the valve plunger I 8, lifted by handle 20 and locked against acci dental opening by the pivoted lock 22, and norf mally held closed by spring 24. Powder and gas are discharged through the nozzle 2B, when the handle 20 is depressed, and the nozzle 26 is threaded on its exterior to receive any desired form shaping member for the stream of gas and powder. A pressure gauge 28 may also be provided to indicate the pressure within the bottle I0.

The valved container of the present invention comprises astandard gas bottle 30, formed of strong metal and adapted to hold a definite weight of gas under a pressure of 1500 to 3000 pounds per square inch. Such bottles are formed with a threaded aperture at one end which has usually been provided with a -valve closing the aperture.

.According to the present invention the bottle 30 is closed by means of a valve which also serves as a connection by which the bottle 30 may be connected to the nozzle 28, and with, means by which the valve may be opened only after the connection has been fully made, thereby increasing the safety of recharging the extinguishers and making this an operation which can be carried out without special tools, b y unskilled persons and wherever the extingusher may be. Heretofore, it has usually been necessary to return extinguishers of this type to a central service station where skilled help was available and special tools were keptfor the purpose, all of which is avoided by the present invention.

Tile-illustrative valved connector comprises a pipe-threaded plug 34 forming a gas-tight seal in the aperture of bot le 30. Plug 34 is formed with an axial passageway leading to a valve seat 36 which is normally closed by the valve disc 38 on the end of valve stem 40. Valve stem 40 is threaded into an enlarged bore of the plug 34 so that by relative rotation, the disc 38 and seat may be moved toward and from each other to open and close the valve, but are held from being taken apart by means of a driven pin 42 which engages with a portion of reduced diameter of the plug 40.

Plug 40 is provided at its outer end with a threaded union 44 which iits closely on the shoulder 46 of valve stem 40 and is held against axial movement thereby, the union 44 being adapted to be screwed tightly onto the nozzle 26 thereby compressing the sealing washer 48 between thc end of the nozzle 26 and the at circular end 50 The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specic mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacriiicing its chief advable toward and from the valve seat to close and open the vale, a connector comprising a threaded member at the end of the valve stem opposite the end with the valve disc by which the valve is threadedly connected to said system to be charged with gas, said valve stem having a longitudinal passage leading from the valve seat through said connector, and said connector being loosely rotatable on the valve stem, and with respect tothe bottle, cooperating elements on y the stem and the threaded member, whereby the 'of the plug 40 to form a gas-tight joint between 40 and the bore of plug 34, while leakage of gas past the threads between stem 46 and plug 34 is prevented by means of an O-ring 68.

A stiiI wire bail $2 is pivoted on the union'44 and serves as a lever or attached wrench for tightening the union on the threaded nozzle 26, compressing washer 48 to form a gas tight seal and frictionally holding stem 40 so that it may be turned relatively to the plug 34 to vunseat the valve disc 38 and allow gas to pass from bottle 30 to bottle I0 and equalize the pressure in both bottles, the handle 20 being depressed to open valve I8 during this time.

Pressure release means are provided on the valved gas container and comprise an apertured plug 64 threaded into an aperture leading to the axial bore 31 and closed by a frangible disc 66 so that ii.' excessive pressure is built up in bottle 30, the disc is ruptured and the pressure relieved through the aperture in plug 64. The aperture in plug 64 also serves as a hole for the sealing wire by which the bail 62 may be held until ready for use. Y

The fit between the threaded -portions of the plug 34 and the valve stem 40, and the friction of the 0 ring 58 are such that more friction opposing relative relation of the parts is exerted by them than by the friction of the loosely fitted union 44 on the shoulder 46, except when the connector is frictionally held against -rotation relative thereto when the connector is fully connected to said system.

2. A valved connector as claimed in claim 1 in which the valve body is formed with an apertured safety release plug and the connector is provided with a pivoted lever which may be sealed to the release plug through its aperture.

3. A valved connector as claimed in claim l in which the valve 'body and valve stem are normally frictionally held against relative rotation.

4. A valved connector as claimed in claim 3 in which the connector on the valve stem clamps the valve stem to thesystem to form a gas tight joint, Vand thereby permitting rotation of the valve body to open the valve.

5. A valved connector for recharging a gasiilled system from a bottle containing gas under high pressure including in combination avalve body threaded at one end for closing an aperture in said bottle containing gas, a valve seat formed in said body intermediate its ends, an axial hole between the seat and the threaded end, a threaded portion formed interiorly of the body between the seat and the other end, a valve disc to overlie and be'pressed against the seat, a hollow `valve stem threaded into the body portion for moving the seat and frictionally held against rotation in the body, a threaded union collar surrounding the outer end of the stem and held thereon for free rotation with respect to thc bottle and adapted to be tightly screwed on a threaded connection of said system to be charged with gas from the bottle, cooperating elements on the stem and the threaded union by which the end of the stem is held against rotation when the union collar is tightly connected to the system whereby the valve stem and valve body may be relatively rotated againstthe normal Ifriction between them to open the valve.

6. A valved connector as claimed in claim 5 in which the valve stem has an enlarged head within the union collar, and a remote end of smaller diameter than the threaded portion adjacent the valve disc, and a sealing ring sealing the space between the smaller end and a cylindrical portion of the valve body and forms a friction member between them.v

'7. A valved connector as claimed in claim 6 in which the union collar is provided with a pivoted lever by which it may be tightened, and a pin in the valve body prevents removal of the valve stem therefrom.

8. A valved container for pressured gas including in combination an outlet gas bottle, a closure therefor including a valve at the inner end of a rotatable actuating stem which opens and closes the valve, said valve having a longitudinal gas passageway therethrough, a threaded union free- 10 ly rotatable with respect to the bottle on the outer end of the stem and carried thereby, by which the bottle may be threadedly connected to cooperating elements on a member to be charged with gas from said bottle through said valve, the end of said stem within said union being adapted for frictional engagement with a portion of said member and held against relative rotation with respect to said member when the union is tightened on the cooperating elements whereby rotation of the bottle opens the valve, and rotation of the bottle when the union is loosened on the cooperating elements allows the stem to rotate with respect to the member without opening of the valve.

References Cited 1n the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 596,497 Grimths Jan. 4, 1898 867,474 Campbell Oct. 1, 1907 987,000 Lukens Mar. 14, 1911 1,725,234 Wedeberg Aug. 20, 1929 1,728,476 Cone Sept. 17, 1929 1,802,523 Morangier Apr. 28, 1931 1,847,189 Lindstrom Mar. 1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 52,644 Norway June 6, 1933 

